These juxtaposed photographs of my friend Olivia before and after she put on make-up are a perfect example of how beauty is a beast. The time and money sacrificed to make Olivia look the way she does on the right are absurd. I chose to make this picture black and white to accentuate not only the imperfections on her skin on the left, but her eyelashes, eyebrows, lips, and hair on the right. The contrast between the white background and Olivia’s face on the right symbolize her confidence when she has on the make-up. I had her look directly at the camera to highlight this confidence as well. This self-assurance is unrecognizable on the left due to the fact that she seems to fade into the white background without her dark hair and eyes. Not only is this photo a great illustration of how beauty is a beast, but it also shows self-objectification. Olivia’s need to put on her “face” before venturing into the public everyday reflects women everywhere “repackaging themselves for male consumption,” as our textbook says. Olivia is a talented, smart, and beautiful girl, but when compared to a fake version of herself, she is likely viewed as less attractive. This same comparison can be made with the average female in America versus the fake, airbrushed supermodels plastered all over the media.
3 comments:
I agree, this picture is a perfect example to show “Beauty is a Beast”. I like how you used the effects to emphasize the picture. It really shows her lack of confidence in the picture on the left as she blends in with the background, and when she puts on her makeup she comes to life, and everything pops out. It’s sad to know that in today’s society so many women do not feel comfortable in their own skin. They have to go through time consuming, and painful cosmetic procedures to look and feel beautiful, like waxing and plastic surgery. Trying to look beautiful can take over a woman’s life and becomes the “beast”, trying their hardest to look appealing to others not caring if they are harming themselves.
I totally can relate to this “Face-Off” picture. The lengths that women feel they have to go to look beautiful is ridiculous. I love the fact that the author chose to display the photo in black in white to contract the start difference between before and after make up. Society tells women to wear make up. Television ads go on and on about beauty products and how it can enhance your beauty. All magazine ads are touched up in photoshop to enhance their flawless beauty. It’s impossible to feel good about ourselves if we use the media to define what is beautiful.
I believe women are beautiful whether they wear make up or not. True beauty is inner beauty. A beautiful character is far more valuable than a fake make over with plastered on products. Everyone loves a cheerful and beautiful smile. That makes a person beautiful. Society should not dictate how a woman can find fulfillment and acceptance through make-up. Women should not be putting on their “face” just because it will be pleasing to men. Women should feel comfortable in their own skin and let their inward beauty define them.
I really like how you manipulated this photo. The contrast on the right really does show a much stronger looking image, and I find it interesting how this relates back to the toys that we give children and how similar dolls like Barbie resemble the picture to the right. The reason that a lot of women feel the need to put their "face" on in the morning is because since they were young, they have been exposed to images of "perfect" looking women, so they feel that they need to look like that as well. When in reality no one really looks like the images of women in magazines and TV.
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